Can You Cut The Fentanyl Patch In Half
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I asked my doctor the same question yesterday, she said "no", because once it hits the air, the strength starts to dissipate, or weaken. So she put me on the lowest dose, as I hope to get off them and all meds eventually.

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Re: Kelsey (# 16) Expand Referenced Message

I am weaning myself off the patch by cutting 1/10 of an inch more off every few patch changes. Usually I experience no WDs at all, but sometimes I feel a little crappy for a couple of hours before the next change. It’s slow but painless. Only cut Mylan, never cut Activan.

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Re: Marlin (# 50) Expand Referenced Message

NEVER cut a fentanyl gel patch (Actavis), but you can cut the tape type (Mylan). My doctor has okayed it. I am reducing my dose very slowly over a couple of months, and I don’t have to suffer withdrawals.

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52

My wife of 16 years died suddenly and unexpectedly 24 hours after placing a cut 100mcg Fentanyl patch on her shoulder! Do not cut these patches! When you cut them, the barrier is broken, causing the patch to release too much medication too fast!

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51

Re: Verwon (# 1) Expand Referenced Message

How does cutting the patch release more medication?

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50

Granny, fortunately, I have only gotten up to the 25 in the three years I've been on Fentanyl, but I'm getting well enough not to have much pain on my patch change day. I used to use a gel type patch because they worked better. My first step in trying to get off the stuff was to switch to Mylan. Now I'm trimming off an eighth of an inch of the patch because I'm afraid to go straight to a half dose. Next time, I'll try trimming a quarter inch. It's hard to tell if I'm really ready, so I think the slower the better. My doctor is willing to drop me to a 12.5 whenever I give the word, but then I'm stuck with that dose for 28 days. If it's not enough, I'll have a painful month. If I trim them, I'll know before I commit.

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49

I'm unclear regarding "overprescribing me" I understood you to say you receive a prescription every 28 days for 24 100mcg fentanyl patches labeled apply 1 ever 36 hers but you were verbally instructed to apply one every 48 hours rs. And now he reduced your quantity 6 patches = 18 patches (apply one every 48 hours) for 24 day supply. Is that correct? You need 12 patches to take as prescribed and you still have 6 extra to use for loss/patches falling off etc....I'm certain I misunderstood something....have you been using more than one every 48hrs?

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48

Never tried fentenol patches but it's all that's available today so I'm gonna cut one and try it tonight but scared AF

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47

Thank you, that's just the info i'm looking for because my 109 mcg jump seems to be too powerful for me.

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46

I took half 25 of mylan will i be ok i have never taken it before I ran out pain meds..my aunt have me half one

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45

So sorry to hear all the pain you're going through but it's so common with this medication. It's happened to me one too many times and why should we have to suffer with the with drawl ? My doctor put me on Fentanyl over 10 years ago. I was able to get two extra patches and explain to the doctor that they would either come off in the shower or I sweated them off. My doctor at the time would give me 12 for the month. It's worth a shot asking the doctor. But the sooner your off of it the sooner you get off that roller coaster ride from this medication . The heart palpitations the sweating in the leg twitching teeth clenching and whatever other symptoms that you may have hopefully will dissipate wants the patch is out of your system for good. I was at 75 µg and I am down to 16 µg and can't wait to be off of this medication but it has taken me over two years to get to this point safely.

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44

I failed to mention that I am making sure to take my Norco consistently every eight hours to keep me even doubt so it's not such a roller coaster ride getting off of the patch. I am also supplementing with Motrin/ibuprofen and cannabis topical cream.

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43

Hi Tom , sorry to hear you're having trouble weaning off the Fentanyl. Sadly most of my doctors did not know the best way to wean off the patch. One doctor told me I would need to be admitted into the hospital to withdraw off this medication . My doctor wanted me to jump from 75 µg to 50 µg over two months and I said no .that the with drawl symptoms were too severe. You do need to be consistent with the times you change the patch. I was on 75 µg two years ago and I am now down to 16µg of fentanyl. I cut a 25 µg fentanyl patch into thirds . Mylan Brand only. Unless you want to constantly end up in the emergency room with high blood pressure ,panic attacks, and a host of other symptoms I would definitely take your time when weaning off this crap. I think in the beginning I went from 75 µg to 62 µg every 72 hours then realized that it was wearing off at 48 hours so I would change the patch sooner. After each dosage decrease I would stay on that for at least two months before decreasing . Sometimes I have to delay decreasing the dosage due to illness or other medications. I am at 16µg now and cutting them accordingly and now tomorrow I will start at 12 µg and hopefully in the next three months be off of this crap . Then I will be weaning off Valium which my doctor gave me over 10 years ago for muscle spasms. It is by far the worst drug to get off of . Good luck to you.

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42

Hi Tom from Idaho! I read your post and I'm excited by your results... I recently discovered the correlation between my bouts of feeling horrible and the days I'd forget to change my patch. I was mortified to learn that I was experiencing withdrawal symptoms from the fentanyl patch... needless to say, I called my doc and said I want off of it, but understand I have to ween off to minimize the unpleasantness... I just wondered how long you took with each step down graduation? They jumped me up too 100mcg/72hrs in 12.5 or 25mcg increments, and going back down the same way makes sense, I just wanted an idea of how long to stay on each step? My doc doesn't seem to be real helpful in my desire to get rid of this poison,so I may have to handle it on my own...

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41

I just need to know if it's dangerous or not? Please let me know as soon as possible.

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40

I was on 75 µg of fentanyl for over six years. I am going on 2nd year of weaning off all this crap. I get terrible withdrawl symptoms. I have use the Mylan patch which I have been able to cut in half with no problem. I am now down to 16 µg every 48 hours. Over the years I noticed the patch wearing off in about 48 hours. It never lasted to 72 hours. I would break out in the hot sweat have heart palpitations shaking twitching and not able to sleep. I can't wait to be completely off of does fentanyl patch. I will be taking Norco for pain and acupuncture and topical cannabis cream. I have taken clonidine several times due to an increase in blood pressure from the with drawl. I hope this information helps you and if you have any other questions feel free to ask. I have been dealing with chronic pain for over 30 years, I am a nurse and an advocate for patients in need of info. I have been given several different antidepressants for pain but none of them have help the pain. Effexor actually increase my body temperature and I had terrible sweating episodes from taking that. My doctor suggested Cymbalta and I declined. I am On no anti-depressants at this time and I am not in a fog anymore. I would just highly suggest that you read up on any of these antidepressants that can "help your pain also. Sometimes the side effects of these medications aren't worth it.

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39

No way. I feel withdrawal pain withint an hour and after 2 hours I curl up in a ball.
50mrg for 4 years

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38

I hope you feel better soon. My son was in Iraq.. Thank you for your service. I will soon be cutting down from 10 years of Milan fentanyl patches. I am determined to get off. I have RA and severe back arthritis. I have been treated mostly well, but this past spring, As a nurse for 30 years, I was badly treated by a cardiologist after I had emergency pacemaker surgery where ther was extreme swelling bruising and nerve impingement. I have worked with addicted patients for many years and have never treated my patients as badly as the electrocardiologist treated me when I had an unusual postop pain situation during the postop period. I had heart block and SA node "sickness." I was appalled at how I was treated and I am, for this reason and others, ready to try my life with RA without these Mylan fentanyl patches. I am going to so the cutting patch technique as my patches are no reservoir. I will be doing this with the help of my doctor and I hope she agrees. I had some Clonadine once, a bp med! And it made me sick so that is not an option as a help to WD symptoms. Best wishes to you and please wish e luck also,. It's frightening to get off, but worse to stay on.

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37

Thank you so much! I'm not anti-fentanyl--it was the only med that worked and enabled me to work after my almost life-ending accident where I broke my neck 16 years ago i also have Lupus and RA. . I realized Im dependant, not addicted psychologically. Never a recreational user, not even marijuana. My issue is i am now attached to the medical establishment I detest, as people are appropriating disability and using our meds on the street. Because of this I have had doctors be very nasty to me, way past the line I'd even consider a co-worker to go. I'm a Ph.D canidate, and am currently working on a field study of my development that one of the most prestigious universities has agreed to publish, if completed. My old pain management group has shut down--I called the doctor on his cell--not only would he not speak to me he would not acknowledge I was a patient--the entire point of getting those records was to show pain management I was a model patient. I'm also very concerned for my non-narcotic Humira--it's incredibly expensive and I can no longer pay high premiums, and doctors are hesitant to prescribe due to cost. Everything is about money. I'm trying to divorce myself as much as a person in my condition can.

SO, I looked up cutting patches online and found this. I waited until I was in semi withdrawal and cut the 100mcg patch into one 75mcg and one 25, put on the 75. I feel pretty alright! My goal is to get to 25, maybe with Dilaudid as needed, or maybe just dilaudid, maybe morphine. Not sure. Just less dependant on this damn system! I even had to take sick leave once because the house I share with my husband was burglarized and vandalized--all our meds were gone. So, I bring my police report to the doctor, and say hey, if you don't believe me you can call the officer in charge, my house was a crime scene! She looks back, sneers, throws, I mean THROWS the card and report at me saying I COULD'VE FORGED IT!!! Obviously this could be easily figured out by one phone call to the police! Then she says 'we don't refill 'lost or """stolen""" medications, you'll just have to wait, and refers me to a psychiatrist. I'm a Christian scientist, so that didn't sit well with me, especially as my religious beliefs had already thoroughly been discussed. So, I'm thinking surgery, nerve blocks, epidurals...slowly get the hell out of this satanic beaurocracy. My stomach is cramping, but not like yesterday when the cramping was violent. Can anyone tell me how long before going down again? Should I go straight to 50, or 62.5? Please let me know. Thanks!
Ayasha

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36

How do I know if my patches are Mylan or gel? I can't find it in the info in the box anywhere?

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35

How do I know if my 75 mcg Fentanyl patches are the Mylan matrix that your saying can be cut or the gel pads? I've read the box and instructions in the box and I can't find mention of it anywhere?

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